The NMRA Competition Department announced a new index class for the 2016 season. With a working title of "Ford Muscle,” this new championship class will debut at the season opener in Bradenton, Florida on March 3-6 at the 22nd Annual NMRA Spring Break Shootout presented by Muscle Mustangs & Fast Fords magazine.  
 
NMRA National Event Director Rollie Miller said, "This new class will be part of the national NMRA championship series. Ford Muscle is a new foot-brake only index class for 1955 and later Ford vehicles on a .500 full tree off indexes from 9.50 to 14.50."
 
However, the name of the class has not been decided. The NMRA team would like help in naming this new class and will be taking suggestions until December 13. The NMRA racers and fans decide with a vote the following week.
 
Please click on the following link to send us your Class Name suggestions.
http://survey.constantcontact.com/survey/a07ebxlz3osihqi5v2f/a01d7ihs0tmut/questions
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"We're thrilled about this new addition to our championship series," said Miller. "We listened to our racers' requests and suggestions and decided to add this class."
 

In recognition of its “throwback” Southern 500 weekend, Darlington Raceway was named the recipient of the 2015 Myers Brothers Award. Voted upon by the National Motorsports Press Association, it is an esteemed accolade recognizing those who have made outstanding contributions to stock car racing.
 
The track “Too Tough Too Tame” led an industry-wide tribute to the sport’s roots that coincided with NASCAR’s return to Darlington on its traditional Labor Day weekend date for the first time since 2003. The annual event first took place when Darlington founder Harold Brasington opened NASCAR’s original concrete oval in 1950 and 25,000 spectators flocked to the egg-shaped South Carolina track.
 
Teams emblazoned retro paints schemes on their cars, while drivers and crew members grew moustaches in homage to greats like Earnhardt and Petty. NBC even brought its old broadcast booth—consisting of Ned Jarrett, Dale Jarrett and Ken Squier—back together to call part of the race.
 
The best of the past and present were meshed together, providing long-time fans with nostalgia of their earliest NASCAR memories and giving new stock car racing enthusiasts an appreciation of the sport’s rich history.

The Myers Brothers Award—named after pioneer NASCAR competitors Billy and Bobby Myers—has been presented every year since 1958.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
Twenty other awards were given out at the luncheon, acknowledging achievements ranging from marketing excellence to success on the track and skill in the garage.
 
Here is the complete list of Thursday’s award winners from the NASCAR NMPA Myers Brothers Awards Luncheon:
 
· NMPA Myers Brothers Award: Darlington Raceway

· Buddy Shuman Award: Clay Campbell, President Martinsville Speedway

· NASCAR Marketing Achievement Award: Sunoco

· Chevrolet Lifetime Achievement Award: Jeff Gordon

· 3M Lap Leader Award: Kevin Harvick

· American Ethanol Green Flag Restart Award: Kevin Harvick

· Coors Light Pole Award: Joey Logano

· Duralast Brakes “Brake in the Race” Award: Kevin Harvick

· Freescale “Wide Open” Award: Kevin Harvick

· Goodyear Tires Award: Kyle Busch

· Ingersoll Rand Power Move Award: No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet team

· MAHLE Clevite Engine Builder of the Year Award: Sam Vernatter, Hendrick Engines No. 4 team

· Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew Award: Stewart-Haas Racing No. 41 team

· Mobil 1 Driver of the Year Award: Kyle Busch

· MOOG Steering & Suspension Problem Solver of the Year Award: Greg Ives, crew chief No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports team

· Sherwin-Williams Fastest Lap Award: Matt Kenseth

· Sunoco Diamond Performance Award: Kyle Busch

· Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award: Brett Moffitt

· Champion Sponsor Award: Mars, Inc.

· Champion Crew Chief: Adam Stevens

Clay Campbell, president of historic Martinsville (Virginia) Speedway and grandson of the track’s founder, H. Clay Earles, received the prestigious NASCAR Buddy Shuman Award during the annual NMPA Myers Brothers Awards Luncheon today in Las Vegas. Established in memory of Louis Grier “Buddy” Shuman, one of stock car racing’s early stars, the award has been sponsored for 59 consecutive years by the iconic Champion Spark Plug brand of Federal-Mogul Motorparts, a division of Federal-Mogul Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: FDML).
 
The annual award was created in 1957, two years after Shuman’s tragic death in a hotel fire, to recognize individuals and organizations that have played vital roles in the growth of professional stock car racing. Past recipients have included Bill France Sr., Richard Petty, Ken Squier, Rick Hendrick, and Dr. Joseph Mattioli.
 
Campbell has been involved in NASCAR racing since childhood, when he worked part-time for his grandfather, who in 1947 had carved the paperclip-shaped track in the Virginia mountains. Martinsville hosted its first NASCAR sanctioned event in 1948 and has the longest tenure among tracks currently on the Sprint Cup racing schedule. Campbell became a full-time track employee following high school, serving in the maintenance and concessions departments before taking on a variety of administrative responsibilities. He has served as track president since 1988. Martinsville is now owned by International Speedway Corporation.
 
“Nearly 70 years since its founding, Martinsville remains a cornerstone of Cup racing, an impressive feat that is largely due to Clay Campbell’s visionary leadership and relentless focus on the fan experience,” said Michael Proud, director of marketing, North America, Federal-Mogul Motorparts. “We are proud to celebrate his significant contributions to our sport through this prestigious award.”
 

Justin “Big Chief” Shearer, star of Discovery Channel’s “Street Outlaws,” will unveil his new car at the WELD Booth #1139 at the 2015 PRI Show at 9:30 a.m., Thursday, December 10. Big Chief wrecked his beloved 1972 Pontiac LeMans, known as “The Crow,” during filming of the show November 14.

Big Chief, who races using WELD Wheels, will announce the replacement for The Crow at PRI, the popular trade show for the racing industry held each year in Indianapolis. The 1972 Pontiac LeMans was Big Chief’s first car and the one that got him started in street racing which ultimately led to the launch of his popular Discovery Channel show.

“Very lucky to be alive. The Crow sacrificed its life to save mine. I always knew that car would keep me safe,” Shearer noted after the wreck. “My first car, my first love, my first addiction. There may be more after you, but you will always be the first.”

In addition to the car unveiling, “The Chief and Shawn Show” podcast will originate live Saturday, December 12, at 1 p.m. from the WELD PRI Booth. The show is co-hosted by Big Chief and his partner at Midwest Street Cars, Shawn “Murder Nova” Ellington.

SCCA Pro Racing has named Derrick Walker as its newest president, handing the operations for the sanctioning body to the respected motorsports veteran beginning January 1, 2016, from his Indianapolis-based office. Walker replaces Robert Clarke, who will serve as SCCA Pro Racing's Chairman of the Board.
 
Walker most recently served as President of Operations and Competition of the Verizon IndyCar Series, after spending more than 40 years in racing in roles including mechanic, engineer, operations manager and team owner.
 
"I have always been impressed by the work that SCCA Pro Racing has done over the years, and know that racing in the United States would not be where it is without it," Walker said. "I'm looking forward to joining SCCA Pro Racing at a great time, to make a difference for Pro Racing and the motorsports industry."
 
Walker Motorsports ran its first race in 1991 at the Indianapolis 500, where Willy T. Ribbs became the first African-American driver to qualify for the "Greatest Spectacle In Racing." The team has operated continuously in open-wheel racing and evolved into a competitive team in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
 
As President of SCCA Pro Racing, the Scotland-native inherits a healthy company that sanctions and works closely with Pirelli World Challenge, Battery Tender Mazda MX-5 Cup, and Trans-Am, and is poised to launch the popular FIA-certified Formula 4 United States Championship Powered by Honda in 2016.
 
"We are pleased to welcome Derrick as the new President of SCCA Pro Racing," John Walsh, Chairman of the Sports Car Club of America, Inc., Board of Directors said. "He brings an unsurpassed skill set in event operations and a lifetime of racing knowledge. His influence on Pro Racing's series will be invaluable as he brings them to a new level of professionalism.
 
"We are equally fortunate to have Robert Clarke step up to guide SCCA Pro Racing as the Chairman of the Board. In his short tenure as President, his vision for growth has already made an impact on motorsports in the United States."
 
Clarke will continue as the Sports Car Club of America, Inc. Vice President, Business Development while serving as SCCA Pro Racing Chairman.
 
"This is an exciting time for SCCA Pro Racing, with large fields in Pirelli World Challenge and Trans Am, the global MX-5 configuration beginning, and the launch of Formula 4 in the United States, which has the potential to be a game changer for young drivers," Clarke said. "We're proud to be able to hand those tools to Derrick Walker, and use his experience and wisdom to grow these series and add to our business."

Lesa France Kennedy, CEO of International Speedway Corporation, was named as the Most Powerful Woman in Sports for 2015 in a survey conducted by Forbes.

Kennedy, who currently oversees 12 speedways that host NASCAR national series events, received the most votes from an eight-member panel assembled by the New York-based business magazine. The 54-year-old executive has topped Forbes' list in previous votes, including the 2009 balloting.

Sprint Cup Series driver Danica Patrick was selected as No. 20 among the Top 25. She also ranked fifth in Forbes' survey of the world's highest-paid female athletes in 2014.

Kennedy, who also serves as a Vice Chairperson of NASCAR, has helped ISC expand its empire of racing facilities across the country. She has been a driving force behind a reimagining of Daytona International Speedway, the $400 million Daytona RISING renovation of one of the sport's centerpieces that will debut in the 2016 season.

Kennedy joined ISC in 1983 and has been the organization's Chief Executive Officer since 2009.

Forbes' panel of sports business influencers selected France first from a two-stage voting process, considering the criteria of quantitative metrics, sphere of influence, and impact.

The Southern Modified Racing Series Presented By PASS, a Tour-type Modifieds series that will race on some of the South’s most historic speedways, will launch its inaugural season in 2016.

The inaugural season will see the Southern Modified Racing Series Presented By PASS competing tentatively in 10 events, several of which will pair the new Modified division with the PASS South Super Late Models in an unprecedented series of races.

The first Southern Modified Racing Series Presented By PASS is tentatively scheduled for March 26 at Hickory Motor Speedway as part of the 11th Annual Easter Bunny 150 weekend.  The Southern Modified Racing Series Presented By PASS will also race with the PASS South Super Late Models and the NASCAR Late Model Stocks at Anderson Motor Speedway on June 17.

The inaugural Southern Modified Racing Series Presented By PASS champion will be crowned on November 4 at Concord Speedway, the night prior to the 14th Annual North-South Shootout.

The PASS Super Late Model National and PASS South Super Late Model champions will be crowned the following day at Concord as part of the North-South Shootout.

“After a lot of inquiries from teams and drivers over the last several weeks, the Pro All Stars Series is happy to team up with Renee [Hackett] and her staff in the creation of the South’s most exciting new series,” said PASS President Tom Mayberry.  “We believe the Southern Modified Racing Series Presented By PASS, coupled with the PASS South Super Late Models at a number of venues, will give fans the opportunity to see the two most powerful divisions in short track racing competing together in some definite ‘can’t miss’ action.”

2016 Southern Modified Racing Series Presented By PASS schedule:

Date – Venue – Location

March 26 – Hickory Motor Speedway – Newton, N.C.

April 22 or 23 – TBA

May 27 – Concord Speedway – Concord, N.C.

June 17 – Anderson Motor Speedway – Williamston, S.C.

July 3 – TBA

July 22 – TBA

Aug. 27 – Caraway Speedway – Sophia, N.C.

Sept.5 – TBA

Oct. 22 – TBA

Nov. 4 – Concord Speedway – Concord, N.C.

WC Vision LLC, producers of the Pirelli World Challenge, have announced that David Caldwell has joined the series’ Competition Department as Director of Operations.

Caldwell, 43, has an outstanding resume in the motorsports world including serving as Pirelli World Challenge technical program manager for General Motors leading the GT (Cadillac ATS-V.R GT3), GTS (Camaro Z/28) and TCB-Spec (Chevrolet Sonic) programs. With Caldwell’s leadership, General Motors has earned multiple drivers and manufacturers championships in GT, GTS and TCB-Spec classes.

Caldwell’s vast technical racing experience will be a major asset in working closely with Series Competition Director Marcus Haselgrove, Race Director Dorsey Schroeder and other competition department personnel.

“As Marcus and I considered the roles we should add to serve our teams, we developed the position of Director of Operations to support the WC Vision technical and competition departments,” said Greg Gill, WC Vision President and CEO. “David will be an excellent team member to join Marcus and the Pirelli World Challenge Competition Department. We have worked with David for many years in his roles within General Motors and we are looking forward to his positive contributions to the series.”

“I’m very excited about this opportunity to contribute directly to the future growth of the Pirelli World Challenge,” said Caldwell. “I will apply my powertrain, chassis, and motorsport program management experience to benefit the teams and manufacturers competing in PWC. The series is poised for tremendous growth and I’m happy to be part of this exciting future.”

Haselgrove added, “Having competed against and worked with David over the past few years, I knew his success in engineering and project management skills would only complement the series. David has also developed customer models, based on higher OEM vehicle content whilst lowering budgets. We share very similar strategies on manufacturer relations, both technical and commercial, to allow them the best integration of the products they develop and sell. This is another exciting partnership for 2016.”

Permatex, an innovator in chemical technology for automotive maintenance and repair, has named Curtis Haines as Associate Innovations Manager. Haines will work in conjunction with the Permatex product marketing and R&D teams to identify and develop new markets, as well as innovate product ideas for both new and existing markets. He will also oversee new product development, research analysis, and provide hands-on technical advisement to all marketing, sales, innovation, and R&D teams.

The announcement was made by Permatex’s Director of Marketing and Product Management, Sean Lyon, who noted, “We are extremely excited to have Curtis Haines join our Permatex family. Curtis brings us a wealth of experience in the automotive aftermarket. His overall automotive service knowledge along with his ability to identify new trends and opportunities will be an invaluable asset to the team.”

Before joining Permatex, Haines spent seven years at AutoZone, where he served as the North East Commercial Parts Expeditor. He also spent two years at Pep Boys in Commercial Management. Haines holds a B.A. in Psychology from Southern Connecticut State University and was an eight time All-American in gymnastics.

Turn 14 Distribution, a performance warehouse distributor, announced the relocation of its corporate headquarters to a state of the art corporate park in Horsham, Pennsylvania, to better meet the needs of its customers, vendors and facilitate continued growth.

The Horsham offices will serve as the base of operations for Turn 14 Distribution’s Executive offices as well as its Sales, Customer Support call center, Purchasing, Marketing, Web Development, IT and Accounting departments. The addition of a dedicated 55-person training room, which features the latest audio and visual equipment, allows customers, staff and vendors to sit in comfort while they learn about the latest products that the automotive aftermarket has to offer.

“The opening of Turn 14 Distribution’s new Horsham, Pennsylvania, corporate office renews our commitment to our customers, employees and partners as an east coast-based company with deep roots in the community. It is another step in the realization of our goal to lead our industry in providing an atmosphere conducive to being the best,” said CEO Jon Pulli.

The new state-of-the-art corporate headquarters occupies over 37,000 square feet of space at The Commonwealth Corporate Center. Considerable time was spent optimizing every square foot of space with brand new work areas in each department, including the lunchroom, to create a unique ambiance.